Scotland could remain in the EU according to EU parliament report

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Scotland could remain in the EU according to an EU parliament report written by the political scientist Brendan O’Leary. The report which was mainly concerned with Northern Ireland contained the following paragraph.

Northern Ireland and Scotland could remain within the EU, at least pending the resolution of their UK status via a border poll (Northern Ireland) or an independence referendum (Scotland). Their current status as parts of the UK union have been altered by the decision to leave the EU – a decision rejected by both countries – and as such it would be unfair to forcibly remove them from another union, i.e. the European one. This view may hold merit but has no traction with the Westminster government.

This clearly shows that there is no legal barrier to Scotland remaining in the EU if we vote for independence.

The barriers that there may be are political and not legal. The UK government is highly unlikely to play ball with such an option. So even though it may be possible to remain in the case of a Yes vote, in the worst case scenario we would have to reapply. As we have talked about before, Scotland meets all of the criteria to be in the EU, and there are a few routes for Scotland to be readmitted due to the unique circumstances. So in event of a yes vote where the above scenario fails, we would likely be admitted very quickly.

The fact that we will have little say in the process highlights Scotland’s lack of sovereignty. The Brexit process has laid this fact bare. Unlike the spin from Better Together in 2014 it is clear Scotland is a passenger not a partner. If the next referendum is about anything it is deciding once and for all if we should be a nation or a region.